The Khao Kheo Zoo in Pattaya, in terms of the way it organizes space, is closer to real safari parks, in which animals are given more territory than people; naturally, hunting them is out of the question. There are no cramped cages; they are replaced by spacious enclosures or fenced kraals. Only predators and large herbivores like buffalos are protected from direct communication with visitors. Their places of residence are fenced with bars and ditches with water. The rest of the animals are allowed to stroll among the zoo visitors, charging them tribute with goodies. You can do it with them. The zoo is located sixty kilometers from Pattaya, so you can see a lot of interesting things along the way.
Khao Kheow Zoo in Thailand(photo below) is a place where you can see and get acquainted with the life of more than three hundred species of animals, most of which are inhabitants of the jungles of Southeast Asia. For the convenience of visitors, its territory is divided into thematic zones.
Main entrance
There are several routes along which you can visit most of the zoo's exhibition. The territory is so vast that you will not be able to explore it all in one day if you try to walk on foot. Renting transport can help you with this - excursion buses travel along the paths of Khao Kheo, and exotic lovers are offered a walk, which can last 10, 20 or 30 minutes.
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This zoo is interactive, where you can not only observe, but also participate in various shows with the participation of its inhabitants. Performance programs for pelicans, otters, and wild boars are offered. Even tigers will demonstrate their natural grace to you, among which there are representatives of an endangered species - white ones.
Exhibition show
If you like extreme sports, you can go to Khao Kheo at night; the zoo organizers have prepared a special program for this time of day. After sunset, from six to eight in the evening, the night life of the jungle is recreated, full of chilling screams and rustles.
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You can only know which animals at the Khao Kheo Zoo in Pattaya are available for viewing and what performances are given with their participation at the moment when you find yourself in front of the entrance. Every day, the zoo organizers change the program, and advertising brochures and notices are distributed to visitors by zoo employees or tour guides.
Visit Khao Kheow in Pattaya does not necessarily involve large expenses. You can easily do without buying expensive excursions. Often independent walk turns out to be much more interesting than the one conducted by a guide. A free map will help you, using which you will make a plan for visiting the most interesting places for yourself and avoid the need to stay in places where you will be uncomfortable or unpleasant. For example, not everyone likes an excursion to a snake farm, and some people really don’t want to visit a bee factory. On your own, you can visit all the pharmacies and kiosks that sell traditional Thai medicine. In any case, no one will remind you that: “Tsigel, cigel ay lyu-lyu,” it’s time to move on to the next point in the program.
But renting excursion transport is a completely justified expense. The zoo's terrain is variable, and the descents and ascents under the hellish tropical sun can be so tiring that you will miss all the fun. For greater clarity, look at the scale of the park in the photo below:
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Leave a few hundred baht to buy treats for the animals. Communication with them is a sea of positivity, for which it is worth visiting the zoo. Buy assorted food from the traders, then you can feed different representatives of the fauna - after all, they have different taste preferences.
Under no circumstances feed those walking along footpaths - these are unwanted guests who sneak in through poorly fenced areas for free food! Even park employees warn about this.
The zoo is open every day, without weekends and holidays. It opens at eight in the morning and officially closes at six in the evening. Closing does not mean that all visitors are kicked out. If you wish, you can stay there all night. For this purpose, there is a guest house with very affordable prices.
The price of a ticket to Khao Kheo Pattaya Zoo depends on whether you are an organized visitor or a “wild” one. Admission for adults is 300 baht, for children - 150. This price includes admission to two performances. (jungle ride and animal show). You can save a few baht if you come with a group of five people. There are also special excursion programs, the cost of which can reach 2 thousand baht. You can buy a ticket for such a visit not only at a travel agency, but also directly at the entrance.
Municipal transport does not go there, but get to Khao Kheow Zoo in Pattaya on your own- quite a feasible task. You can go to Khao Kheow Zoo on a bike, but more in a convenient way will . It is located north of the city, a little further than the much more famous Si Racha Tiger Zoo. Five kilometers after the tiger nursery you will see a large sign “Khao Kheo”, from it to the zoo it is another 20 kilometers.
An individual car will be sent for you at the specified time if you place an order for official website zoo. You can order a taxi, but it will cost you more than the zoo itself, so go to the tiger nursery at the municipal songthaew, and you will find a taxi next to it.
The most convenient and cheapest way to get to Khao Kheo is a sightseeing bus (minivan). A tour of the area will cost you 900 baht. This amount includes the price of the entrance ticket, and if you’re lucky, also the cost of travel on the zoo’s excursion transport.
Khao Kheo Zoo in Pattaya is the most interesting and popular attraction included in the list of excursion programs for tourists. The zoo is different in that most of the animals here roam freely, you can approach them and even feed them. Convenient infrastructure and many entertainment programs make this the best place for family fun in Thailand.
Huge park with official name Khao Kheow Open Zoo is located in Chonburi province, approximately 45 km north of the resort town of Pattaya. Its area covers 800 hectares, making it the largest in the entire East Asian region. The zoo was created in 1974 due to the increase in the number of animals in the Royal Metropolitan Zoo.
Map of Khao Kheow Zoo in Pattaya
Now the territory is home to about 300 species of birds and animals, the total number of which has exceeded 8 thousand. The park territory is conditionally divided into 3 parts:
All zones are connected by numerous paths along which tourists are offered to travel in electric cars. The peculiarity of the park is that there are almost no cages here - animals roam freely, many of them can be touched, which is why the zoo is called a petting zoo. All the inhabitants of the menagerie are kept in excellent conditions. The territory has its own veterinary clinic, whole state employees ensure that the animals are well-groomed and well fed.
After watching this video, you will know what the most popular zoo in Thailand looks like.
For convenience, the areas where animals live are divided into separate thematic zones.
This is an island inhabited by animals brought from the African continent: zebras, giraffes, antelopes, rhinoceroses, buffaloes. Here you can see the most large bird- African ostrich.
The African savanna is the most popular place among tourists in the zoo. A very beautiful themed island with boulders and a few trees, among which herds of antelope, deer and small roe deer stroll leisurely. They can be fed and petted.
Here, behind a shallow water fence, you can observe wild tigers, panthers, leopards, lions and other exotic representatives of the cat family.
These cute animals live on a small separate island, accessible only by boat.
Wild animals from different continents are placed here: American raccoons, Australian kangaroos, Asian lynxes, lemurs from Madagascar, South American squirrels and monkeys, pygmy hippopotamuses.
Here in a spacious enclosure are presented exotic birds, including several species of parrots.
On small island surrounded by a pond, gibbons, orangutans, chimpanzees, and capuchins sit on the branches. Small monkeys jump tirelessly, which you can watch from afar. It is prohibited to feed them.
Many wild monkeys enter the area. The park administration asks visitors to be careful, as the animals are quite aggressive, gather in packs and take not only food from tourists, but also bags and jewelry.
Very a nice place, where butterflies brought from all over the world live among exotic flowers.
This place is a structure where penguins and their offspring live. Remote monitoring of animals.
There is an aviary for penguins on the territory of Khao Kheo There are several low enclosures with decorative rabbits, small kids and rams. There is also a pond with turtles, an aquarium and a room where little penguins live. Children can feed the babies and enjoy close communication.
In addition to the above-described zones, the territory is home to many birds, including waterfowl. There are also turtles, snakes and even crocodiles. The highlight of the park is the binturongs. These animals are not found in European menageries and are generally rare. Outwardly, they are not very attractive; they look like a bear crossed with a cat. However, they are friendly and enjoy eating bananas brought by visitors.
To feed and interact with animals, come to the enclosures better in the morning and afternoon. During the day, many animals hide in the shadows and do not make contact with visitors.
Several shows with trained animals are held on site every day. Children will enjoy the seal performance, penguin parade and elephant bathing. The elephant show is an exciting event. Visitors are invited into a room where an elephant swims in front of them in a huge aquarium. The show lasts 5 minutes, but the impressions remain unforgettable.
The elephant show is an exciting event Part of the program is dedicated to predator hunting. This spectacle is not for the faint of heart. During the show, tigers hunt for prey and eat it, then hyenas come to eat the remains of the carrion. There is also a separate show program for groups called “Journey to the Jungle.” It is designed in such a way that the animals perform on their own, as if according to a script, without a trainer. This trip lasts half an hour and is offered three times a day - at 11-00, 13-10 and 15-10.
Animal show schedule:
Before traveling to this beautiful place, it is recommended to study the reviews of other tourists and read the information on the official website. It is also worth purchasing a map at the entrance that will help you navigate the area. Need to take hats drinking water and small change in local currency to buy food, drinks and animal feed.
Public transport There is no access to the park, so you can only get here by taxi or rented car. The cost of a taxi from Pattaya will cost approximately 1 thousand baht, and the journey will take 30-40 minutes. You can also take a taxi to the nearest town of Siracha, and from there take a taxi. For the first time, the easiest way is to book an organized excursion, the price of which includes transfer.
You can get to the zoo yourself by taxi or rented car. Entrance is open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. After closing, from 18 to 20-00, here you can go on a night safari and watch the nightlife animals. Those wishing to explore all the thematic areas are recommended to go on an excursion in the morning, since the park area is very large. There is a hotel where you can relax or stay overnight.
The entrance fee is 250 baht per adult and 100 baht per child over 90 cm tall. Children under two years old have free admission. You can get a discount when purchasing and booking tickets on the website. There are also group discounts - for more than 5 people, the price is negotiated individually.
Organized excursions are offered in hotels and just on the street, which will cost a tourist 500-700 baht. This price includes round trip transfer and guide services. As for individual visits, in addition to the entrance ticket, you will have to spend money on an electric car (from 500 baht for 2 hours) and viewing a show - an adult ticket costs 100 baht, for a child - 50. Animal food is sold at the enclosures and at the entrance, their cost is 30 , 50 and 100 baht.
It is important to know that for drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking on the territory there is a fine of 2 thousand baht.
Animal feed is sold at the enclosures and at the entrance There are no problems with food on site, however, the only catering establishments here are a few food courts and cafes where you can order pizza, spaghetti, rice, seafood, meat and much more. Cool drinks and ice cream are sold on every corner. Among the exotic dishes, you can try grilled bananas, local fruits, and also enjoy fresh coconut.
Have you ever held a binturong? Or maybe they touched a hippopotamus? Have you fed a flock of flamingos? If not, you should definitely go to Khao Kheo! This is probably the most interesting attraction in the vicinity of Pattaya, one of the oldest and largest zoos in Thailand.
The Khao Kheo Zoo began with the expansion of the royal zoo in Bangkok, when some of the animals were moved to the place where Khao Kheo is now located. About 8 thousand individuals and more than 300 species of animals live here. Of course, the scale of the zoo is amazing. Then you won’t want to look at other simpler ones at all. But the main thing I like about Asian zoos is that there are practically no traditional cages.
Many animals can be hand-fed and touched, which is why the zoo is called a petting zoo. And this is one of the main features of Khao Kheo. All animals live in conditions as close to natural as possible. Those that are not dangerous to humans, such as deer, walk freely on lawns and can be petted. Other, dangerous and predatory animals live, as it were, on islands, surrounded by a concrete ditch with water so that they cannot jump over it.
Large animals, like rhinoceroses and giraffes, walk behind a low fence, come close to it and can be fed and touched. This is simply amazing! And unusual. In general, there are so many species of animals here, and the territory of the zoo is so vast that even in a day and by car you are unlikely to be able to see absolutely everything. You can come to this zoo every year and every time everyone will be delighted, both children and adults.
At the entrance to the zoo you can see a number of traders selling “food packages” for feeding the animals. They are not expensive, they are available different sizes and include grass, green beans, bananas, corn and carrots. In principle, you can take your own food to feed the animals, no one will pay attention to it. Food bags come in smaller, larger and even larger sizes.
Price per package is 20, 50 and 100 baht. Since feeding the animals is the main attraction of Khao Kheo, it is worth taking food for them. In addition to the baskets at the entrance, there is also the opportunity to buy food directly from the enclosures with animals on the territory, it costs from 10 to 50 baht per serving.
"Medvecat" binturong
You need to allocate at least 3-4 hours to visit the zoo. It depends on your speed and desire to see everything, the place is so interesting that you can spend the whole day there. The part of the park closest to the entrance is busier and has many visitors. The further part is quieter and with large spaces. Perhaps not everyone gets there, and it’s a long walk to get there. But there is little there; some of the enclosures stand abandoned.
It is thought out in such a way that you can drive a car/bike throughout the entire zoo, since the territory is huge and it is quite difficult to overcome it on foot. One main road winds through the entire zoo, ending in the same place where it began. For those who do not have transport or do not want to drive their own car, there is an option to take a golf cart. A handy thing, small and nimble. Golf carts can accommodate two or four people. They cost about 350 baht per hour, but starting from the third hour the price is lower.
You can take a golf cart on bail and only if you have a driver's license, Russian rights will also fit. If you are traveling with an organized tour, you will be driven around the zoo in a long, multi-seat electric car.
I drove it in a regular car, no problem either. There are parking lots everywhere. And in the car you relax for a while from the heat under the air conditioning (in golf carts there is only wind). You can also buy a seat on a tour bus; it travels through the entire zoo, stopping at each point for a while. But it seems to me that it’s still better to use individual transport, it’s more convenient not to adapt and to be where you want and as long as you want.
I arrived in the middle of the day, it was the hottest. Perhaps that’s why some of the animals were hiding somewhere in the shadows, some cages seemed empty altogether. It may be better to visit the zoo in the afternoon when the heat subsides.
In addition to the animals kept in the zoo, wild monkeys from the forest come to the territory to feed. It is better not to feed them, because they move in a pack and can attack to take away food. In general, they are quite aggressive and all guides, as well as zoo workers, warn visitors to stay away from wild monkeys. There are even signs on the territory prohibiting feeding wild monkeys.
The entire vast territory of the zoo, more than 800 hectares, is divided into thematic zones: savanna, deer, birds, butterfly garden, all types of cats, monkeys, penguins, sea animals, etc. In the Savannah area you can see African animals: zebras, impalas, giraffes, rhinoceroses... Almost everyone can be fed. It is especially interesting to feed and touch giraffes. After all, this is a large animal and it is rare to see it so close. In the Wild Cats Zone you can see more than 40 species of felines that live in different conditions, from desert to mountainous areas.
Various animal shows are held on the premises several times a day. These are feeding seals, Indian beaked whales (that is, birds), bathing elephants (you can watch through clear glass to the underwater part of the pool where an elephant swims), a penguin parade, trained animals with a “talent show” and a show that is usually attended by organized groups - Journey into the Jungle. It is staged in such a way that the animals perform on their own, without trainers, performing their roles as if by notes and acting like a well-coordinated clockwork mechanism. This show features tigers, including white tigers, lions, other predators, binturongs, birds, otters.
In addition to the fact that you can look at the animals in Khao Kheo, feed them, pet them, you can also take a photo with some of them, holding them in your hands. Several places offer photo opportunities with a huge, furry binturong. This is not a dangerous animal, it looks something like a bear cat: very fluffy and with a cute face.
At the exit of the Journey into the Jungle show, you are offered to take photos with a large chimpanzee monkey, a parrot and others. Naturally, all this is for a fee. You can also ride an elephant around the area if you wish.
Since the area is very large and tourists spend a lot of time here, almost the whole day, there is everything necessary in terms of infrastructure: toilets, cafes, small stalls with drinks and food.
Khao Kheo is not only an attraction for tourists, there are also animal studies here, and there is a hotel on site where you can stay to gain a deeper insight into the life of wildlife.
Ticket price: 300 baht per adult and child, 50 baht per car. Children under 90 cm are free. Groups of 5 people or more receive a discount.
Lifehack! Although the cost for such a good zoo is small, you can buy tickets even cheaper: 200 baht per adult and 140 baht per child (height 90-135 cm). For a child, it's generally half the price.
Alternatively, you can take a tour if you don’t have your own rented bike or car. The cost of an organized tour is from 600-900 baht per adult. Some agencies on the way back will bring spices or something similar to the garden for shopping to recoup the cost.
Zoo opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Night Safari: from 18 to 20 hours, held in a separate area where you can observe the life of animals that are more active in the dark.
The show Journey to the Jungle runs for about half an hour, starting time: 11:00 13:10 15:10; a ticket for it, if you come on your own, costs 100 baht for an adult and 50 for a child.
Animals Show starts at 10:15, 12:15, 14:15 and 16:00. The penguin show is held twice a day.
It is better to check the current times of different shows on site when entering the zoo. There you can also see a map of Khao Kheo with zones.
The zoo is located 45 km from Pattaya, towards the cities of Sri Racha and Bangkok. By car from Pattaya you can get there in 40-60 minutes. There is no public transport in Khao Kheo, so either use your own/rented transport (just keep in mind that riding a bike on the highway is not entirely comfortable) or take a taxi. If you wish, you can also take a tuk-tuk to the city of Sriracha, it is closer to the zoo. And then take a taxi from there.
But the easiest way, if you don’t have your own transport, is to take an organized tour from one of the travel agencies in Pattaya. With a tour, you will see a little less than you would see yourself if you stayed there all day (if you have the strength). But the tour includes transfer from the hotel and back, which is more convenient and may even be more profitable than paying for a taxi yourself.
P.S. Write your reviews about the zoo. Maybe I don’t know something, but this is so far the best zoo I’ve ever seen. What I liked most was traveling by car, it’s very convenient and you can see some of the animals right from the car window.
Khao Kheo Zoo is the best zoo not only in Pattaya and the surrounding area, but also one of the best in Thailand. It is much more interesting and richer than the Dusit Zoo in Bangkok. So if you like animals, you should definitely visit the Khao Kheo Zoo, especially since it is quite inexpensive.
You can get to the Khao Kheo Zoo either independently or with a guided tour. Both options are good; over the years of living here, we have been to Khao Kheo dozens of times, both ourselves and with a tour group. Oddly enough, it is cheaper for tourists to go on a guided tour. What's good about Khao Kheow Zoo? Why is it always included in the top 5 excursions from Pattaya? What is there at Khao Kheow Zoo and how much does it cost to enter?
Let's start with the fact that you can get to Khao Kheo Zoo on your own either by car or by bike. By car is of course preferable, but various reasons, including the fact that you can’t actually ride a bike on the Bangkok M7 highway.
A fine of 5,000 baht if you are caught on highway No. 7 Pattaya-Bangkok on a bike; a corresponding poster describing the prices for fines hangs on the highway itself.
You can rent a car in Pattaya or a bike –
There are two programs available to visit Khao Kheo Zoo. Ordinary, takes place every day and costs – 600 baht adult and 450
children's ticket. (with Russian guide).
and there is the Khao Kheo VIP program - I highly recommend it. I came here for the first time quite recently and didn’t know that it existed.
The main differences in the programs are that on the Khao Kheo VIP excursion you will also be taken to the island of lemurs in the zoo, where you can communicate very closely with fluffy lemurs. You can feed, pet, take pictures. They live on a separate island, where people are brought in small parties, wearing shoe covers and with special food, on a raft.
Khao Kheo VIP tour is only available on weekends and holidays, since the rest of the island of lemurs is closed to visitors.
The second difference is that this program has very small groups. Literally 6-12 people. Great guide, very knowledgeable, interesting, educated. I learned a lot of new and interesting things from him.
Khao Kheo Vip excursion price – 800 baht adult and 500 baht children's
For ourselves, we found an excellent excursion bureau that organizes and sends out all the famous excursions in Pattaya, the prices there are pleasant and they will give discounts to my readers.
I can recommend them, they have never let me down.
You don't need to go anywhere, you don't need to buy anything in advance. Payment is made upon delivery, after the bus has arrived for your excursion.
If necessary, write in the comments, I will send you contact information.
From Sukhumvit you take the M7 highway, which leads to Bangkok.
This time I didn’t forget to take a photo of the exit from the overpass under the bridge, since this fork is the trickiest and is easy to skip:
You drive onto the bridge and follow the signs in the area of 7 km, there are signs for both the zoo and Khao Kheo Country Club. The last one is a little before the zoo, there is a golf course.
Entrance has become more expensive for both farangs and Thais. in 2019 already 400 baht + payment for car arrival.
According to Thai licenses, entrance to Khao Kheo costs 300 baht, but everyone who wants to receive such a discount should have a license. In 2019, changes took place and they began to check more strictly and even charge children as tourists if they do not have documents confirming Thai residence. .
At the zoo, if you have a license (which you definitely need to show), you can rent a golf cart and ride around the park on it.
If you decide, here are the prices and the list of documents that need to be provided:
Keep in mind that a golf cart will not be rented without a driving license. Insurance costs 50 baht, decide for yourself whether it is needed, we did not take it.
If you are 16 minutes late (just like us), you will have to pay for another hour. It was very relaxing that we could be 15 minutes late, we thought we’d be in time.
Such petty behavior somehow spoiled the impression.
Innovation No. 1 in Khao Kheo is bicycle rental. Nobody uses it, although the prices are humane:
There are no fools, you can earn a heart attack while rolling uphill in such a hot mess.
The advice is this: check the weather on the day you are going to Khao Kheo Zoo. Try to get there in the morning to see everything before lunch, because we
We arrived at the very hottest time (at 13-14:00) and it was a bit hot.
There are a lot of different animals in Khaoi Kheo now. Every year they bring some new ones, for example, in 2017 a panther, new elephants and other species of rare animals appeared in Khao Kheo.
As always, the giraffes have a full house, they eat willingly, people like it.
The bears were sick from the heat. Even though they have a waterfall and dripping shower. Their skin was wet from water, but it was still hot.
They only picked up the bananas that were under their paws; they were too lazy to move any further.
Unperturbed Thais are having lunch. Birds scour in search of prey. The birds are alive, yes:
Kids can relax by riding on cars and trains:
All around, as before, they sell ice cream, juices and waters, yes, the most important thing! Apparently there are more people, several new cafes and coffee shops have opened, maybe this is due to the fact that
that Thai children are on vacation and now go to Khao Kheo Zoo more often. So there was no need to go to Black Canyon on the way, we just thought that, as usual, we wouldn’t be able to eat at the Khao Kheo Zoo, but that’s not the case.
At the end we fed the elephants and went home.
Be sure to visit the enclosures of sea otters and koalas. It’s rare to see koalas in any zoo, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be given the opportunity to feed and touch them.
Khao Kheo also has its own sheep farm; children really like this attraction with feeding lambs.
There are also several shows that take place in Khao Kheo throughout the day. The visit is included in the price of the excursion or ticket to the zoo.
Also in Khao Kheo live beautiful tapirs, surricats, white tigers, rare species birds, crocodiles, animals that are found only in Thailand or Asia.
In general, to enjoy visiting Khao Kheo Zoo, go in the morning on a cloudy day and you will be happy.
I know that many of my readers love animals and want to communicate with them, cuddle and play with them, so in addition to the Khao Kheo Zoo, I highly recommend that families with children and just all travelers to Pattaya go on an excursion to , which is located in Pattaya itself. Don't confuse it with the terrible tiger park in Sriracha, where they simply abuse animals.
This excursion to the tigers is new, it appeared recently. On your own, the price will be the same as with the excursion, only the latter also includes transfer of tourists from the hotel and back.
This excursion is unique in that this is a nursery where tigers are loved and raised from birth, they are tamed and it is completely safe for people to communicate with them.
You can go into the enclosure of baby tiger cubs who are not yet 2 months old, teenage tigers, adult tigers and take a photo, pet them, even lie on the tiger.
The children couldn't be taken away from the tigers!
I advise you to read my detailed review-story about this attraction. brindle Pattaya Park comes complete with an excursion to Nong Nooch Garden,
and even if you have been there several times already, the impressions are worth updating. Nong Nooch is remade every year, I was amazed by the theater and shows they opened
in this season. New areas have also opened in Nong Nooch, such as the dinosaur trail and much more.
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